Diamond in the Rough
by txrockgirl
Summary: HS fic. Phil is the new, outcast, anti-social kid at school. John is popular, and a polar opposite of Phil. They are secretly attracted to each other. Will they hook up, or go their whole lives wondering 'what if? Rated M for language and future M/M.
1. Welcome to Chicago, Motherfxcker

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. No monetary gain is being made from this work.**

**Author's Note: This is an extremely short chapter. I've got one more written so far, but I want to wait and see what feedback I get from this one before posting more. Rated M mostly for language, and future M/M-ness. Don't like, you know where the back button is. Please R&R. My reader's feedback is what keeps me going.**

Chapter 1- Welcome to Chicago, Motherfucker

Phil's POV

Chicago. I was born here. I've lived my whole life in this shit hole. So many bad memories. I can't wait to get out. Two more years and I'm gone. Where I'm going, I don't know, don't care, as long as I'm not here.

To put it mildly, you could say my life sucks. I live with my mom, my drunken bastard of a father (I'm ashamed to call him that), and my little brother, Mike. We just moved across town to an even shittier neighborhood, if that's even possible. So now Mike and I had to go to a different school this year. Not like it matters. I never had any friends at my old school anyway.

As miserable as school is, home is even worse, so school is like an escape for Mike and I. Our parents constantly fight and all my father does is drink and attempt to beat us. It's always been like this. It's not going to change. When I graduate, I'm taking Mike far away with me. I do everything I can to make his life easier, but there's only so much I can do. If I have to, I'll die trying to make sure he doesn't turn out like our father.

I vowed years ago, swore on my grandfather's grave that I would never be anything like my father. I'm what they call "straight edge". I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. Pretty unusual for someone in my type of situation. I also swore to avoid violence as much as possible, to never lay a hand on a woman, and to stay above the law. I've faltered on the ladder a few times, but I was only doing what I had to. Welcome to my life.


	2. Falcon Arrow High School

**Author's Note: I decided to post this chapter a little sooner than planned. Its a bit longer than the first. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2- Falcon Arrow High School

Phil's POV

Falcon Arrow High School. My new miserable sanctuary. Its pretty diverse here. Rich kids, poor kids, everything in between. There's probably two thousand students, so its pretty easy to blend into the background. I'm a sixteen-year-old sophomore. I should be a junior but I failed third grade. Not because I'm not smart, just had a lot of shit going on in my life, even at eight years old. Mike is a freshman. Luckily he's right on track. Its kind of weird having a class with my kid brother, since we're two years apart.

It's a typical school-day morning. I pull my twenty-something-year-old piece-of-shit aluminum can (total term of endearment) into the student parking area. The a/c and radio don't work, but at least it gets my brother and I to school, and me to and from work reliably. I've had my license since I was fifteen, but have been driving since I was twelve. I used to have to drive my father to the liquor store because he was too drunk to drive himself.

We always get there early because we don't want to be at home. Mike usually meets up with some friends to hang out before the bell rings. I go sit under an isolated tree and people-watch. Being new and pretty much anti-social, I don't have any friends. Most people just stare at me as they pass by. I like to think its my unique style. I've got almost shoulder-length bleach-blonde hair with black roots, short, scruffy stubble, both ears pierced, and my tongue and lip pierced as well. I've also got a couple of tattoos, but those aren't visible unless I take my shirt off. I look like something born of the punk rock movement. Guess you can say I'm pretty much grown up for sixteen. And I have been for a while.

There are a lot of cute girls in some of my classes, but only a few really stand out and we never talk. They probably don't even know my name. There is one person I would like to get to know, though. Its going to be difficult. Another part of my tormented life is that along with being troubled, I'm also bi. The one that I would like to get to know is a guy. John. He's beyond out of my league. He always has at least a couple of girls hanging off of him and he's by far the most attractive guy in the whole school. He has brown hair, about as long as mine, and chocolate-colored eyes to match. He has a dazzling smile and stubble as well. He's a lot like I could see myself being if my life wasn't so fucked up. I know I'll never have him or his life, so having to share three classes with him is like torture.

Its also another secret I have to keep. My life is full of secrets kept locked away, only to eat away at me. I used to cut to relieve the mental anguish, but I stopped. I don't want to be physically scarred like I am mentally.

Mike and I talk a lot about things, mostly because we go through the same shit together. But I can't tell him I have a crush on a guy. If my father found out, I could guarantee I wouldn't live long enough to escape him. He didn't care that I came home one day tatted and pierced, but that's the extent of his tolerance.

I sighed and closed my eyes, and leaned my head back against the tree. Next thing I know, Mike has me by my shoulder and is shaking me violently and yelling my name. I open my eyes slowly.

"Phil!"

"What, bro?"

"You're gonna be late for class!"

"Huh?" I looked around and noticed that there were only a handful of students in the courtyard and they were all scurrying toward the school building.

"You were like, passed out! I thought you were dead or something!"

"I just closed my eyes for a minute, I thought?"

Mike grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "You scared the shit out of me! I was trying to wake you for like five minutes!"

"Sorry. I guess I was really tired."

"Its ok, just don't do it again."

"I'll try not to." I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder and started walking. "Run, Mike. You're gonna be late."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine."

Mike took off running. I slowed my pace. I was tired. I hadn't slept in almost two days. I don't get much sleep on the weekends. I waited until Mike was out of sight, then I turned toward the parking lot and headed for the car. Every so often I would take a nap for an hour or so in the car. Nobody ever noticed I was gone, lucky for me.

I climbed in the car, leaned the seat all the way back, and pulled my hood up over my head. Time to go to sleep.


	3. Mike

**Author's Note: Thank you so much, everyone who read/reviewed/etc. I am really sorry for the delay between updates. This chapter is a short pure filler chapter, just to show that I haven't forgotten about this story. I will work on it, along with my other unfinished stories, when I have the chance. Good things come to those who wait. As always, please read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 3- Mike

I awoke to the soft pattering of rain hitting the roof of the car. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket (why do I even have one? Nobody ever calls me) and checked the time.

"Fuck!" I sat the seat up quickly and grabbed my backpack. Lunch was half over and I had missed three classes! Someone was bound to notice this time.

I got out of the car and made my way to the cafeteria. I was hungry. I was always hungry. I had just finished my last slice of pizza when the bell rang.

On the way to fourth period, I ran into Mike.

"Where have you been?" He asked, concerned. I know he worried about me a lot. I always wished he didn't.

"I went to sleep in the car. I only meant to for an hour or two but..."

Mike's blue eyes stared deep within my own eyes. "Phil," he started slowly. "Phil, tell me something." His tone was serious.

I nodded. "Okay."

"Is-is everything okay? With you? I mean, you seem- different."

No, not a single thing was okay with me. Home life was shit. School sucked, and I was in love with a guy I knew I would never have. But I couldn't tell Mike that.

I sighed and placed a hand on Mike's shoulder. "I'm okay, Mike. Don't worry about me," I said reassuringly, smirking slightly to add some believability to the lie I had just told my little brother. Although my words were convincing, my eyes betrayed the truth my voice hid.

Mike shook his head. He saw right through my lie. "You know you can talk to me about shit. I'm your brother. We're in this shit together." Mike was mature beyond his years. He was a good kid.

I could hear the pain hidden in his voice, and I could feel tears forming behind my eyelids. It hurt knowing my little brother was hurting inside. I wished I could take him away from it all.

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks Mike. You can come to me too. I know life can be hard sometimes."

"Yeah. Hey we better hurry. We're gonna be late for fourth period."

"Yeah, well I'll see you later." I shot Mike a half-smile and he returned it.

"See ya."


End file.
